DotabuffvsSTRATZ

Dotabuff and STRATZ solve the same base problem: the Dota 2 client only shows basic match history, so to review per-hero stats, scout an opponent, or read the meta you need an external site. Both are free web apps fed by the same public match data via the Steam API. The difference is the angle: Dotabuff is the 2012 institution with the most recognizable brand and the broadest dataset; STRATZ, launched around 2017 by ex-pros, bets on interpreting the data rather than just displaying it.

Type of content

Dotabuff delivers a classic, direct dashboard: paste a Steam ID or search by name and you get lifetime stats, win rate per hero, the last 20 matches with full breakdowns, meta tier lists by patch and MMR bracket, and regional leaderboards. It's frictionless data reading.

STRATZ starts from the same data but packages it differently:

• Personalized dashboard that prioritizes your recent heroes, suggested heroes to learn, and MMR trends.
• AI win-probability predictions at the start of or during a match, based on team compositions and player history.
• MMR Estimator that projects your potential MMR and suggests areas to work on (vision, last-hitting, kill participation).

Dotabuff shows what happened; STRATZ tries to tell you what to do about it.

Maturity, freshness, and depth

Both depend on the Steam API, so a freshly finished match can take 5-30 minutes to appear in either one — not a flaw of either tool, but of Valve's queue.

Dotabuff has been ingesting public matches for over a decade, giving it the broadest historical dataset and the most recognized brand; by inertia, many players default to Dotabuff and there's more third-party content. STRATZ has a smaller community but ships features faster and has gone through several major UI redesigns, integrating AI elements more visibly than competitors.

Platforms and monetization

Dotabuff is web-only. STRATZ is the only one of the two with a robust native app for iOS and Android, useful for quick review from your phone with finished-match notifications.

On monetization both are freemium with a ~$3.50/month Plus tier:

• Dotabuff Plus unlocks deep filters, longer history retention, and the TrueSight replay analysis platform. The free tier covers 95% of what most players need.
• STRATZ Plus removes ads and unlocks advanced filters and detailed breakdowns. The free tier is generous, but the upsell pressure is somewhat more visible than on Dotabuff.

Both are closed-source, so you can't audit their calculation methodology (that's what OpenDota is for). STRATZ's AI predictions are statistical, not oracles: useful as one more input.

Which one?

• Casual lookup and quick champ-select scouting → Dotabuff. Familiar UI and the more recognizable option.
• Meta browsing by MMR bracket → either one; both have per-patch tier lists.
• Improvement suggestions and match predictions → STRATZ. It's the interpretive product, not just a data viewer.
• Reviewing stats from your phone → STRATZ, thanks to its native iOS/Android app.
• Deep move-by-move replay analysis → Dotabuff with TrueSight (requires Plus).
• Maximum historical coverage and an established brand → Dotabuff.

They aren't mutually exclusive: they share base data and complement each other. Many committed players bookmark both (plus OpenDota), using Dotabuff for fast lookup and STRATZ when they want the data to actually tell them something.